No visa needed

Do citizens of Spain need a visa for Costa Rica?

Citizens of Spain don’t need a visa for Costa Rica and can stay up to 180 days. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Spain: the passport opens 122 countries visa-free; Madrid — San José: ≈ 8,480 km, about 11 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 180 days

Can I travel to Costa Rica without a visa on a Spain passport?

Yes, citizens of Spain don’t need a visa for Costa Rica for up to 180 days. A valid passport is enough.

Costa Rica visa rules at a glance

With a Spain passport you can visit 122 countries visa-free, 28 with a visa on arrival and 35 with an e-visa; 13 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Spain passport ranks 6th of 199.
Spain passport: visa-free access to 122 countries; Costa Rica passport: 90.
Citizens of Spain and Costa Rica can travel together visa-free to 88 countries, for example: Andorra, Portugal, Monaco, France, Switzerland, Tunisia, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Vatican City, Italy, San Marino, Ireland, Netherlands, and Slovenia.
A language both countries share: Spanish.
Citizens of Costa Rica, in turn, don’t need a visa for Spain. Spain visa for citizens of Costa Rica

Travelling to Costa Rica: good to know

Madrid — San José: about 8,480 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 11 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −8 hours.
Local time: Madrid 12:00 — San José 04:00.
Local currency: Costa Rican Colón.
Languages: Spanish.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ CRC 454.
Costa Rica is the 151st closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Spain.